Fire destroys home on Verona Island

BDN | BDN

BDN | BDN

Orland firefighters Casey Soper (front) and Dustin Wentworth walk a ladder back to their department's truck after joining Bucksport, Penobscot and Orrington fire departments to fight a house fire on Verona Park Road on Verona Tuesday morning, September 29, 2009. Bucksport Fire Chief Pam Payson said their company responded to the call at 9:42 a.m. and knocked down the fire within 15 minutes of arrival. The home sustained considerable fire damage. (Bangor Daily News/John Clarke Russ)

No one was injured in the blaze that destroyed the home of Thomas Curtis, according to Capt. Pam Payson of the Bucksport Fire Department.

A neighbor noticed smoke coming from the eaves of the home and called the Fire Department at about 9:42 a.m. The first firefighters arrived about six minutes later, Payson said. No one was inside at the time.

“There were flames and heavy smoke coming from the eaves,” Payson said. “We hit it from the outside, and when we had enough of a crew, we did an interior attack.”

Crews from five departments fought the fire and had a quick initial knockdown, but the construction of the building made it difficult to put the fire completely out, she said. Firefighters had to dig out between double walls near an addition to douse hot spots, and through foam insulation in the roof to ensure the fire was out. They remained on the scene into the afternoon.

It appears the fire started in the basement, but Fire Chief Craig Bowden and an investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office were still inspecting the scene late Tuesday afternoon in an effort to determine the cause of the fire.

The building was insured.

In addition to the crew from Bucksport, firefighters from Orland, Orrington, Penobscot and Castine fought the fire.